Nicola Adams has bought the world of female boxing to our attention in a way few others have managed. A sport that was only introduced to the Olympic games in 2012 in London. She has become a household game, an icon of her sport and a true inspiration to not only women, but to ethnic minorities and to the LGBT community. Adams is undoubtedly on of Great Britain’s finest athletes for so many reasons.
Adams career should be known as a career of firsts. Adams came to the public’s attention in 2012 when she became the first women to ever receive an Olympic Gold medal in the flyweight category when she defeated the three-time world champion Red Cancan. An achievement we all felt proud of where women finally became seen as equal to men in the boxing sphere as this was the first Olympics that women could compete in Boxing. In 2016 at the Rio Olympic Games Adams became the first GB boxer to successfully defend an Olympic title in 92 years. She is GBs most successful female boxer ever being the only female boxer in history to win all major titles. In fact as of right now she still holds all major titles including Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth Golds.
Adams is influential for other reasons. She is confident in talking about her sexuality, being openly bisexual. Adams when discussing her sexuality makes it clear that it should never be the main topic of conversation as it is not her sexuality that defines her success but the dedication and hard work she has put in to achieve such triumphs. She was named in 2012 as the most influential LGBT person of the year in Britain. Furthermore she is one of the few openly LGBT black women within British public life making her a pioneer leading the way and inspiring others to excel in sport no matter of your gender, sexuality, religion or ethnicity. Adams has worked with several charities and initiatives in order to encourage people of all ages and abilities to get involved not only in boxing but any sport.
It’s no wonder Adams was awarded an MBE in 2013 for her services to boxing. As well she was nominated for Sports Personality of the Year in 2012 and in 2016. She is a true heroine of her sport, pushing past obstacles to achieve success. We more than admire Adams, we truly love her. Adams in recent months since the Rio Olympics has hinted at retirement. We hope we get to see more of Adams in the ring, however if we don’t her career has been one that will impact women’s boxing for many years to come and she will go down in history for her incredible career.
Brittany Holder
